In order to standardize European accessibility standards, Directive EU 2019/882 of 17 April 2019 requires economic operators to ensure accessibility of the following products and services:

• computers and operating systems;
• payment terminals and certain self-service terminals such as ATMs, ticket dispensers and queue ticket dispensers, interactive self-service terminals;
• smartphones;
• television equipment including digital television services;
• telephone services;
• services providing access to audiovisual media;
• elements of air, road, rail and maritime transport services such as websites, mobile services, electronic tickets, etc.;
• consumer banking;
• e-books;
• e-commerce;
• emergency communications directed to the single European emergency number 112 ».

The Directive, which has been transposed into French law, has applied since 28 June 2025.

Therefore, a online approach is now available and allows you to perform your declaration of non-compliance or to invoke an exemption from digital accessibility obligations.

What are the cases of exemption?

An exemption from the obligations of the Accessibility Directive may be invoked in certain cases:

• the company in question counts less than 10 employees with an annual turnover or balance sheet total of less than EUR 2 million;
• compliance with the Directive would lead to a ‘fundamental change’ of the product concerned;
• compliance would place a disproportionate burden on the company (this is an ‘excessive additional organizational or financial burden’).